


Nightmares

by GrapieBee



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Genre: Father Figures, Father-Son Relationship, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-13 01:59:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11174655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrapieBee/pseuds/GrapieBee
Summary: He doesn’t even have time to fully absorb the direness of his situation, before those swords are being pushed down towards him with inhuman quickness. All he has time to do is blink.





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> Another commission for my lovely anonymous commissioner!

Water poured all around him, sending a fine mist through the air, making the rock and brick underneath his feet slick. He had no time to worry, no time to focus on anything other than the enemy that lay before him.

Ganondorf was a hulking mass of a man, though the way he moved was that of someone smaller. His footwork was light, yet powerful. His jumps were unnaturally high and easily vaulted him feet above Link’s head. It was a fighting style that Link had never seen before and as such, Link found himself struggling to defend, let alone attack.

Both of Ganondorf’s blades clashed against his raised shield, causing him to flinch ever so slightly. He’d been bruised and hurt before this fight had even started. The shield pushed painfully against a deep scrape on forearm, making him grit his teeth against the pain. He could not fail. He could not stop.

With all his might, he pushed back against the blades, forcing Ganondorf back. Taking the man’s surprise as an opportunity, Link swung the Master Sword as hard as he could, ready to finally make contact-

That thought is dashed from his mind as Ganondorf smacks the hilt of one of his swords against Link’s temple, sending him flying.

His vision goes black for a moment. But he can still feel his body painfully skid against the rough floor beneath him, can distantly hear Zelda cry out.

“Link!”

He could already feel an angry and painful knot forming where he’d been hit, the skin already hot and pounding in tandem with his heartbeat. It hurt. Goddesses did that hurt so much. He barely has a moment to fully fathom the pain he’s in when a low, deep laughter sounds just above him.

“You’re it? You’re the one the Goddesses deemed worthy of being the Hero?”

He’s not yet had a chance to open his eyes, so the foot that collides with his side is a surprise. With that forceful kick, his body is throw even closer to the edge of the platform; he can’t see it, but he knows it’s there.

He gasps in pain as the cracking of bone sounds. He didn’t need that rib anyway, he supposed.

“You’re just a little boy, when everything is said and done. You couldn’t even complete the one thing you were designed for. Instead, you’re going to die here, by my hand.”

Link cracks an eye open against the pain in his head and side, groaning as he does so. His vision is blurred for a moment, before he focuses in on the hulking, black cloaked mass. He has just a moment to realize that Ganondorf has both swords raised, each deadly, sharp tip pointed at him, ready to plunge into him.

He doesn’t even have time to fully absorb the direness of his situation, before those swords are being pushed down towards him with inhuman quickness. All he has time to do is blink.

The swords never hit their mark. One moment, Link was greeted by the sight of a black cloak. The next, his vision is filled with a red, plush coat, pierced by two thin swords, growing darker and darker as blood seeped into the fabric-

Link awoke with a cry between a yelp and a gasp, his hand outstretched above him. His brow was slick with sweat, his eyes were pricked with tears. Shaking, he lowered his hand back to his chest, pressing his palm against the soft fabric of his sleep tunic. His heart hammered against his ribs and into his palm, almost painfully.

He tried to breathe slowly, carefully, hoping to calm the rapid thudding in his chest. But the dream still clung to him, still stood perfectly in his mind. He could almost see the blood pooling at the wound sight, could almost hear it as it dripped on the cold stone floor.

He squeezed his eyes shut and firmly pressed his palms to his eyelids as another wave of some deep grief washed over him.

‘It’s just a dream. It’s just a dream Link. Don’t be a big baby.’

He repeated this to himself again and again, having to swallow hard past the lump in his throat. It might have been a dream but oh, it had felt so real, too real for comfort. He’d had dreams about his travels before, about the beasts and monsters he’d been hurt by. But, even in his dreams, he was always able to take them down. As frightening and vicious as they were in those dreams, he was always victorious.

His dreams had never hit him like this before.

He’d never had someone he loved so dearly stuck down in his dreams like that. Where had his mind even come up with an image for that much blood? Even during the real battle, he’d never been hurt like that, why would his dreams come up with those terrible things? Why had his mind put Daphnes between him and Ganondorf? His thoughts raced as he lay in his bed, the vestiges of his nightmare still clinging to him tightly.

A cold, invisible hand gripped at his heart as the same scene played over and over in his mind. Bulking black mass of a man, two deadly points bearing down on him, and blood. So, so much blood. He pulled his hands from his damp eyes as he sat up, a small sob shaking his shoulders.

He had to see. He had to make sure. He knew that awful dream would keep him tossing and turning for hours to come if he didn’t check to make sure Daphnes was safe and sound.

Carefully, he made his way to the ladder of the bunk bed he shared with Aryll and crept down it, quiet as a mouse. He barely registers the coolness of the wooden floors, or the gentle sound of the waves and wind just beyond the open windows of the house. His mind is still clouded by a terrible red color.

_This is dumb. Why are you being so dumb?_

The question rolled around in his mind several times as he crept to Daphnes’ room. He’d just look in. Just make sure he could still see the rise and fall of his father figure’s chest. The make sure that he wasn’t soaking in his own blood.

Link angrily rubbed at his eyes as new tears sprang forward. He was a Hero dammit! There was no need for him to get so worked up over this. Daphnes would be fine. He would be safe in bed and the sooner Link saw that for himself, the sooner he could go back to sleep.

He swallowed hard again as he approached the older man’s room, thankful that he always kept his bedroom door cracked ever so slightly. As Link crept closer, he noticed with some surprise, that a light was still softly illuminating the room. Peeking through the crack between the door and the door frame, he could see that Daphnes was still up and wide awake.

He sat on his small desk, slightly hunched over something Link could not quite make out. He could see a small box in front of Daphnes and instantly recognized it as the man’s toolbox. Link shifted his focus back to the man himself, looking for something, anything that would tell him if he was hurt.

There were no swords pierced through his back. There was no blood. Just Daphnes, working.

He gave a small and shaky sigh of relief, the tension he had not realized he’d been hold in his shoulders releasing.

As he made to turn to return to bed, a deep, gently voice sounded from beyond the door.

“It’s quite alright Link. Come in if you’d like.”

Link flinched, just ever so slightly. He’d done everything he could to keep quiet, how had Daphnes known he’d been there? Maybe, he wondered with a hint of annoyance, he had a sixth sense like his Grandma did. How she could tell when him or Aryll were trying to sneak a sweet before dinner, from a different room no less, would always be a mystery to him.

He took a steadying breath and pushed against the door, opening it just enough for him to slip through. He stood there, at the entrance to the room, suddenly very embarrassed for his reason of being there. It certainly would not endear him to Daphnes if he told him about his nightmare. How could someone want to hear about a child’s nightmares? What would Daphnes think of him for needing to check on him?

_He’s going to think this is stupi-_

“What’s got you stuck in the doorway, my boy?”

The man’s word snapped Link from his thoughts, startling him slightly. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged, forcing himself to move farther into the room. He instinctively made his way to the plush bed that lay just to the right-hand side of the desk, sitting on it without prompting. He always came in here while Daphnes worked, more often than not.

He pressed his palms to the quilt that covered the lower half of the bed, smoothing the wrinkles down. He could not find it in himself to look at Daphnes, though just knowing he was there was almost enough to knock away the nightmarish images in his head. Almost.

He heard Daphnes gently gather up his work tools and place them carefully back in the small box on the desk.

“Now,” the man began, turning himself and the desk chair to face Link on the bed, “I imagine you didn’t wake up in the middle of the night to see me work, am I right?”

When Link meets his eyes, all he sees in them is a gentle patience and a quiet kindness.

‘Maybe I was just up, like you were.’ Link signs, trying to force a grin on his face.

Daphnes chuckles and shook his head.

“I don’t think so Link. Your snoring is bad enough sometimes to shake the house itself.”

‘You’re are no better, old man.’

That stirs a hearty laugh from Daphnes’ chest and Link feels his heart lighten a little at the sound.

But then he can see it again, clear as day. Blood dyeing an already red coat redder, the sound of a **drip drip drip** as it pools on the floor-

“Link, Link my boy, what’s wrong?”

Daphnes is a blurry mess in front of him as his voice pulls him from those awful thoughts. His eyes are full of tears, ready to roll down his face at any moment. When that terrible, cold hand of panic and pain grabs at his heart again, they do just that.

“Oh, oh no. Link, what-”

Before Daphnes can get another word out, Link is off the bed and wrapping his arms around his torso, squeezing tightly, silent sobs wracking his body. It’s only a moment later that Daphnes returns the gesture, gently pulling him closer. Link’s sobbing grew as big, warm hands rub at his shaking back and run through his bed messed hair.

“Shhhhhh, it’s ok Link. It’s alright.”

He gulps against another wave of tears at those words, trying to focus on what was before him. Daphnes was fine. He wasn’t covered in blood, he wasn’t dying. Just to prove the point further to himself, he shifted his head ever so slightly so he could press an ear to the man’s chest.

_Bah-Bump_

He took a breath in.

_Bah-Bump_

He let the breath out.

“That’s it Link, just like we’ve done before. Breathe with me, ok?”

_Bah-Bump_

He took a deep, calming breath in.

_Bah-Bump_

He let the deep, calming breath out.

He was already beginning to feel better as he took yet another slow, and steadying breath. And, with his body slowly calming down from the panic that had been coursing through it since he’d woken up, came a sudden surge of embarrassment again.

He pulled away, intending to return to his bed and act like this silliness hadn’t happened. But two hands gently held him in place and those same patient eyes met his. Concern and worry now swam along with the kindness and it made Link’s heart sink.

“Link, please tell me what’s troubling you.”

‘It’s nothing, don’t worry I’m just being dumb-’

“Link. Please. There’s nothing dumb in talking about what’s made you so upset. I promise.’

Link took one last shaking breath, his aching heart swelling for a moment. Daphnes was really such a good and wonderful person.

‘I had a nightmare. It was…scary.’

“What was it about, my boy?” Daphnes asked, moving one of his hands from Link’s shoulder to gently brush tears from Link’s cheeks.

Link wrung his hands together for a good, long moment, before he continued.

‘Fighting Ganondorf.’

“Ah, I see. I take it things didn’t go the same in your dream as they did in real life, right?”

Link nodded and, after another tense moment, began signing once more.

‘He…he was winning. I was losing. Badly. Then he was about to kill me and-’

Link took another deep breath, trying to quell another rising wave of cold panic as the image came to mind again.

‘-and you stepped. In front of me. There was so much blood and it felt so real and it’s like I can almost hear you dying-’

“That must have been very hard for you to see, Link. I am still here with you. I promise Ganondorf will never be able to hurt anyone again, least of all me. I’m right here, my boy.”

A fresh wave of tears gathered in his eyes and he was quick to angrily wipe them away with the back of his sleeve. He knew that. He knew Daphnes was fine and his heart was beating and there wasn’t any blood. He felt so bad for even panicking in the first place.

‘I’m sorry, Daphnes. I’m just being stupid. It was just a dream. Dreams haven’t bothered me before. I’m just being a wuss-’

“Now, you can’t expect I would let you call yourself names! Link, my dear boy, there is no shame in being afraid of what a dream shows you. There’s no reason to be embarrassed by needing some reassurance.”

Link sniffles quietly and swallows again.

“Why, especially with all you’ve been through, I am happy to know dreams like this don’t plague you regularly. Even if they did, there’d still be no shame in you expressing fear about them. Why, I have had my fair share of frightening nightmares too.”

Now, that got Link’s attention.

‘You?!’

“Yes, me indeed. I will say, from my own experiences, a nice warm beverage usually helps calm my nerves after a bad dream. I don’t think I’m going to be getting much sleep tonight and, by the looks of it, you may not either. Why don’t we make ourselves a pot?”

Link considered his father figure’s words. He didn’t think he was being dumb. He didn’t think he was being silly. He, as always, just wanted to help Link in any way he could.

He nodded with a watery smile, wiped his eyes on his sleeve and pulled himself off the bed. Daphnes stood, groaning softly as one of his joints audibly popped, and ruffled Link’s hair.

Together, they made their to the kitchen, the embers of previous day’s fire still burning a low, deep orange. Daphnes set to stoking the fire back to life, setting fresh logs on either side of the embers, carefully building a structure that would not squash out the remaining life the embers had.

Shortly after, Daphnes gave a soft, triumphant laugh as the dry wood caught fire and began crackling happily. Carefully, with practiced hands, he pulled the cast iron kettle from where it sat next to the fireplace and hooked it over the small fire, turning his attention back to the flames once done.

As Daphnes coaxed the fire back to life, Link made himself useful and began preparing the teapot, carefully spooning out two full scoops of tea leaves. When he was sure Daphnes’ focus was solely on the fire, he pulled the jar of honey on the kitchen counter toward the pout and drippled two globs of honey into it. He watched it sink into the tealeaves, his mouth watering. As bad as his dream had been, as tough as his travels had been, none of that had or would ever quell his love of sweets.

Just as carefully, he slid the container of honey back to where it came from, please with himself.

As he turned from the now prepared teapot, something caught his eye. On a chair in the corner of the room, Daphnes’ red coat hung over the back of the chair. At the sight Link’s mind started to fill with the images of his nightmare once more, with the pain and cold wet stone underhand-

He shook his head, determined to not let himself get caught up in the terribleness of that dream once more. In something akin to defiance, he marched himself to the chair, pulled the coat off it and wrapped it around his shoulders.

There, now, with him wearing it, he couldn’t see it and it wouldn’t remind him of his dream!

He sighed happily, very pleased with himself. The coat itself was, as expected, comically big on him. The arm sleeves hung incredibly far past his fingertips that the hem of the sleeves brushed against the ground. The high collar, which looked so regal and intimidating on Daphnes, could nearly act like a hood for him. Either way, Link didn’t mind how silly he might look in that moment. The coat was soft and warm and smelled just like his adoptive father. He hugged the coat tighter around himself and snuggled into the plush fabric.

“Well, I’m happy to see someone is getting enjoyment out of that old thing.”

Daphnes’ words jolt Link from his thoughts once more and he moves to take it off. The older man chuckles and waves his hand in a dismissive manner.

“I tease, my boy. I’ve personally always found that coat to be a little too much for weather like this. But I am very glad to see that it’s brought you some sort of comfort.”

Link had to take several seconds to shake his hands free from the unbelievably long sleeves, before he could respond.

‘Why wear it then, if it’s too warm?’

Daphnes let out a small, quiet sigh at the question as he pulled the tea kettle from the fire and poured just the right amount of water into the teapot.

“Well, I suppose there’s many reasons why I still wear it. Nostalgia, I suppose. That and I do strike quite the figure in it.”

Link had to giggle at his comment, trying to cover his mouth to stop it from escaping.

“Oh, laugh all you want young man! I’m sure you’ll find yourself in a similar relationship with an article of clothing when you get to my age.” Daphnes teased as he filled two mugs with the hot tea.

Link had to laugh again, trying to imagine what clothing item he might grow so attached to. Would it be a captain’s hat? Or perhaps a shirt?

Shaking the silly thought from his mind, he scuttled towards where Daphnes was sitting himself in front of the fire, the two mugs in hand. As the older man sat on the floor cross-legged, Link carefully climbed into his lap, taking the cup offered to him.

“Careful, my boy, it’s still quite hot.” Daphnes warned as Link pulled it to his face.

He blew on it carefully, watching as the steam twisted and turned in the air before suddenly disappearing. After a minute or so of blowing on the liquid, Link finally took the cup to his lips and sipped, sighing happily. The natural sweetness of mint coated his mouth, all made more delicious by the generous helping of honey he had put into the pot. As he took another sip, he snuggled deeper into Daphnes’ lap, resting his head against his chest.

His thoughts turned inward again as the soft sound of a consistent _Ba-bump Ba-bump Ba-bump_ of his father figure’s heartbeat pressed into his ear.

It was a comforting sound normally, yes. But especially now, when his nightmare had him nearly convinced that Daphnes had died a month ago during that last and ultimate battle, it had a downright soothing effect. They sat there like this for a very long, peaceful moment, before Daphnes spoke once more.

“You know, my boy, I must ask: why is it that you do that?”

Link craned his neck and turned his attention upwards, unable to see anything other than Daphnes’ big, white beard. Not wanting to move from his comfortable spot in Daphne’s lap, he placed his mug on the floor and pulled the older man’s free hand towards him. Gently turning it so that the hand lay flat, palm to the ceiling, he started tracing characters into the skin.

‘It makes me calm. The heartbeat. I guess it makes me feel safe?’

A low hum vibrates against Link’s head as Daphnes speaks again.

“That I can certainly understand. It’s like listening to the waves roll in on a calm night, right?”

Link could feel a certain amount of embarrassment rear its head inside him once more. That wasn’t quite why he so liked listening to Daphnes’ heartbeat.

It wasn’t just the sound, it was the fact that it was something that told him, without fail, that Daphnes was still alive. That he hadn’t lost him to the sea or to Ganondorf or any other terrible thing they’d faced together. But how to explain that to him without sounding…weird.

Slowly, stopping several times to make sure of his words, he wrote against Daphnes’ palm.

‘It’s not just the sound itself. It tells me that you’re still here. That you’re ok. That sounds dumb, doesn’t it?’

When the older man didn’t immediately answer him, a cold and uncomfortable feeling welled up in his throat and he began hurriedly writing once more.

‘Never mind, I know it’s silly, all of this is just silly-’

Daphnes’ much larger hand closes around his own, very gently. After a moment or two, he releases Link’s hand once more, before speaking.

“I don’t think it’s dumb. Nor do I think it’s silly. Not at all Link. Asking for help with something like this, trying to deal with and process the things you’ve been through, it’s not silly at all. If the sound of my heart is something that helps you stay calm, well then, listen all you need to, my boy.”

The cold feeling in his throat dissolves as his heart swelled at the man’s words and he tried to do his best to not let tears prick at the corners of his eyes. A part of him knew that Daphnes would never make fun of him, would never even let the thought cross his mind.

However, it was the part that told him, time and time and time again that he should be able to handle the mess of emotions the last few months had clawed into him, that needed to hear those words.

“I’ll let you know, Link, that I too have had nightmares before. In fact, that’s why I was awake in the first place.”

Link felt his brow crease together in confusion.

‘You? What could scare you awake?’

“Oh, plenty of things, Link. I’ve had nightmares about the sea. About the Kingdom of Hyrule falling. Of accidentally eating a bad piece of fruit, I will say that one still doesn’t make much sense to me. An old fart like me has plenty to be afraid of.”

He couldn’t help the little giggle that bubbled up from his chest at the old fart comment.

‘But, you’re a King. You were the Kin of Red Lions! You’re brave and you’re strong and-’

“I _was_ a King, my boy. My Kingdom is now just a legend. But, you should know, even the bravest or strongest people will fear something. Will be haunted by something they’ve done. Why, you’re the bravest person I know. Having nightmares, seeking out help, that’s so much more than others would normally do. If that isn’t bravery, I don’t know what is Link.”

Link let himself sink a little further into Daphnes’ lap, absorbing the man’s words. In a way, it was so…odd, hearing him admit these things. He never would have guessed that Daphnes had an ounce of fear in him. He always had a certain power about him, something that screamed that he was not a man to be taken lightly. He had been a King, a ruler of thousands and thousands of people. He wasn’t someone who would be knocked down easily.

Yes, it was odd learning about this side of his father figure. But, all the same, it was comforting.

He wasn’t alone in all of this. He didn’t always have to be strong or try to take on everything he’d witnessed on his own. That thought alone was enough to finally, finally quell the hot ball of anxious energy that had been in his chest since he’d woken up.

‘Thank you.’

“Think nothing of it, my boy.”

Taking his mug back in hand from where he had placed it on the floor, Link continued to drink his tea, again savoring the minty sweetness.

As he was oft to do, Daphnes ruffled his hair and began to scratch at the crown of his head. Before he knew it, he was drifting to sleep once more, blood and nightmares thoroughly chased from his mind.

\--------------------------------------------

Daphnes watched the boy curled up in his lap, smiling as he watched him drift to sleep. He took his hand from Link’s head, hair now thoroughly mussed, and pulled the still full mug of tea from his hands, placing it on the floor next to them. As he did that, Link pulled the red coat more tightly around himself and snuggled closer to Daphnes’ chest.

He shook his head and chuckled to himself, marveling at Link.

He was still a child. A child who had, again and again, risen to take on responsibilities no adult would want to bear. But he did so, because it was the right thing to do. He did all of this, had been through hell and back, and kept his faith in the world around him. Had not only kept his own hope, but had restored it to the once King of Hyrule.

That same world that had hardened Daphnes’ heart countless times, hadn’t affected him. Well, mostly hadn’t affected him.

He patted Link’s unruly hair back down and brushed bangs from his eyes.

It had been the truth when he told Link that he too suffered from nightmares. Had told him he had been awoken by a nightmare of his own. What he hadn’t been able to admit to Link was that the nightmare had been uncomfortably like his own.

In his mind’s eye, the battle between Ganondorf and Link waged as it had in real life. He’d been helpless to do anything, except watch. What was not true to life was the single moment where Link’s footing faltered on the slick, stone floor. It was the moment Ganondorf needed to overwhelm the boy and skewered him with both swords. Daphnes’ cries of rage and anguish were silent in the dream as he had watched blood pool under small, boot clad feet.

He gently shook his head, chasing away the image. No, he was quite glad to withhold that detail from Link.

As Link groaned in his sleep and rolled to face the fire, the dark places his thoughts had been headed to was dashed away. Link had that effect on him, on so many people they had met him during their travels. The world had been a sad, pessimistic place, before Link had sailed into it.  But every person he met, every life he touched, was made better from it.

Daphnes had initially thought it was perhaps something the Goddesses themselves had bestowed upon him. A holy power of some sort, to give hope where hope was needed. Over time though, it became apparent to him that this was just the type of person he was. Truly worthy of the Triforce of Courage, inside and out. He brought a comfort to everyone who got to know him; including Daphnes himself.

Daphnes yawned into the back of his free hand, pleasantly surprised at the familiar pressure of sleepiness pushing on his eyes.

Carefully, as not to disturb the boy in his lap, he shuffled them so that he could press his back against the end of the kitchen table, the fire now low and gently enough as to not overheat either of them.

Before he let himself finally be taken by the sleep he knew he desperately needed, he reached into the back pocket of his pants and pulled a newly made Gossip Stone from it. This was what he had been working on when Link came to stand in his doorway.

When Tetra had left, she’d taken back the one she had lent to Link.

This one, carefully entwined in thin copper wires, this one was just for Link. As a way for them to always find one another. To remind him of the adventures, the good and the bad, that they had shared.

He tucked the stone into Link’s hand, careful not to stir him.

If Link could give hope back to an old man such as he, Daphnes was more than willing to help him in return. Every time he needed him, Daphnes would be there. With a word of kindness, a joke, or just to let him rest in his lap. Daphnes would always be there.

Once Daphnes knew he had not roused Link, he settled his back against the end of the kitchen table, letting his sleepiness take him back to, hopefully, kinder dreams.


End file.
